Godsend by Sloan Johnson ~ Blog Tour, ARC Review, Excerpt, Giveaway
Title: Godsend
Author: Sloan Johnson
Genre: Adult, Gay Romance
Release Date: February 4, 2015
You can’t choose who you fall in love with. Despite knowing from a young age that he was gay, Scott Murphy couldn’t imagine life without Shelly. He threw away the labels and had eleven amazing years with her, but now, he feels even more lost trying to figure out how to move on after Shelly’s death. After nearly a year of watching Scott fade away, Shelly’s father forces him to start living again.
As much as Chris loathes the idea of attending a bereavement group week after week, it’s one of the only places he can go in this town, other than the bar, to not feel so alone. When there’s nothing to distract him or dull his senses, he spends too much time obsessing over how he should have been able to help his sister. When Scott shows up at his group session, Chris decides that maybe some good can come out of his sister’s death.
There’s no denying that Chris is the first man to catch Scott’s attention in a long time, but how can he move on when just thinking of Shelly sends him to his dark place?
The road to recovery won’t be an easy one, but Chris is determined to help Scott see that life is still worth living. But before Scott can allow himself to admit what he feels for Chris, he knows he has to reveal the full truth about Shelly’s death.
I promised Ma that I wouldn’t drink my dinner every night, but some days, it’s impossible to keep that promise. I tell myself that it’s different on days like today because I’m not drinking to forget how much I miss Jill, I’m drinking to forget how miserable some people choose to make one another. Today, I just about lost it and told one couple that there’s no point in them even trying to get along. Unfortunately, my partner frowns upon me telling couples that sometimes two people just aren’t meant to be together, as was this case with this pair.
It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust to the dark atmosphere of Brewster’s after walking around for thirty minutes trying to tell myself I didn’t need a drink. I find an empty seat at the end of the bar and signal the bartender for my usual. Okay, so maybe Ma had a point since he simply nods and has a tall whiskey sour sitting in front of me in less than a minute.
I look around, the same way I do every night, wondering if this town will ever start to feel like home. It’s a nice enough place, but there’s a definite divide between those who are from here and those who move here at some point in their lives.
I sit a bit straighter when I see Scott, the quiet, broody guy from group, sitting at one of the high top tables in the center of the room. He looks absolutely miserable. When I catch a glimpse of his date for the evening, Adrian the annoying twink who thinks he’s God’s gift to all gay men in town, the annoyance radiating off Scott is understandable.
I nurse the first drink, rather than down it as quickly as possible. I’ve wanted to talk to Scott the past few weeks, but he’s ducked out as soon as the official meeting ends, even though Jim hangs around for a while. I’ve considered following him when he leaves, to see if I can talk to him, but then I tell myself that he must have his reasons for not wanting to deal with people and I have to respect that.
I feel like a creep, watching Adrian and Scott eating dinner, but I can’t help it. A few times, I’ve thought Scott was checking me out the same way I have been him and this is the first confirmation I have that I might be right. Scott excuses himself from the table and Adrian reaches out for him as he walks away. I laugh when Scott practically jumps back to keep from being part of an awkward and unwelcome embrace.
Once he’s in the restroom, I order another drink before putting a five-dollar bill in the jukebox. I don’t give a shit about the music, but it’s the closest I can get to Scott without following him into the bathroom, which is a level of creepy that I can’t imagine stooping to.
Tracy's Review:
5+ Amazing Stars
I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!
Scott is so lost and broken. After mourning his wife for the past year he doesn't think he can take it anymore. He is a sad, angry, bitter man. He just wants to end it all. His father-in-law shows up in time to stop him from doing anything stupid, and forces him out of the house, to attend a bereavement group with him.
Scott reluctantly agrees to go. One of the first things Scott notices when they get to the meeting is Chris. Scott has no delusions about his sexuality. He has always known he was gay, from a young age, but he couldn't help but fall in love with Shelly. So maybe he is bi. He has never tried to put a label on it.
Chris has been attending the group for a few months now, after his sister took her own life. Chris notices Scott too. After a few weeks he invites Scott out for coffee, Scott accepts, but this quickly blows up in his face. After Scott is hurt, Chris finally manages to wiggle his way into Scott's life, and eventually his heart.
First let me start by saying this book is extremely unique. I have never read a book where the deceased takes a part in the book. The majority of the book is told from Chris and Scott's alternating POV's, but I thought Sloan's adding Shelly's tidbits every now and then added such a fresh perspective. It's hard to read a book and not feel insecure, when one character feels they have to compete with a ghost, and it gave me piece of mind to see Shelly give her approval and blessing to Chris and Scott's relationship.
This was such a well written book. I couldn't put it down. Scott's mood swings gave me emotional whiplash. It was like watching a tennis match, go back and forth. He would push Chris away then pull him back, over and over, but once he finally accepts his feelings for Chris and decides that's what he wants and there is no need to feel guilty about wanting Chris, watch out!
These two had so much chemistry it was off the charts. I felt the love between Chris and Scott, radiating off the pages of this book. This book wasn't easy to read at times, and you will need tissues handy, but you won't want to miss a minute of this awesome story. I LOVED this book so much. I wanted a conclusion, but wasn't ready for their story to end. This was such a beautifully told story. Sloan dealt with such a strong and difficult subject matter with such grace and dignity. This book offered a little of everything on the emotional roller coaster. It had grief, sadness, anger, happiness, laughter, and most of all love.
This is my third book by Sloan and each book gets better and better. I can't wait for more in the future!
Sloan Johnson is a big city girl trapped in a country girl’s life. While she longs for the hustle and bustle of New York City or Las Vegas, she hasn’t yet figured out how to sit on the deck with her morning coffee, watching the deer and wild turkeys in the fields while surrounded by concrete and glass.
When she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal asking them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you can’t attend classes, even in Kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool and started plotting her first story soon after.
Later in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially awkward, uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no better place than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book?
Now, Sloan is a tattooed mom with a mohawk and two kids. She’s been kicked out of the PTA in two school districts and is no longer asked to help with fundraisers because she’s been known to lose herself with a good book and forget she has somewhere to be.
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